Visibility disk for use on wire fences and the like



Dec, 23, 1952 R. M. wlgs N 2,622,553

VISIBILITY nrsx FOR USE ON WIRE: FENCES AND THE LIKE Filed Feb. 8, 1949i' m l".

INVENTOR t M. WLISOTL F m 7 BY CR QCPM ORNEY Patented Dec. 23, 1952VISIBILITY DISK FOR USE ON WIRE FENCES AND THE LIKE Robert M.. Wilson,Battle Creek, Mich., assignor to Dare Products, Incorporated, BattleCreek, Mich., a corporation of Michigan Application February 8, 1949,Serial No. 75,260

4 Claims.

The present invention relates broadly to fences and electric fenceassemblies, and in its specific phases to discs mounted on electricfences to show the location of the fence wire.

The use of electric fences is of comparatively recent origin but in thefew years which they have been in use there have been hundreds ofthousands of electric fence posts sold and thousands of miles of bareelectric fence wire. The fence posts of ordinary woven wire fences havebeen rather commonly spaced about a rod apart, and apparently the habitformed as to thespacing of those posts has been automatically carriedover to the spacing of electric fence posts. It has also been standardpractice to use relatively heavy electric fence wire which hasordinarily been in-the range of 9 to 12 gage, although some 14 gage anda small amount of 16 gage wire have been used for this purpose.

In order to make electric fences less costly and even more satisfactory,I now propose to space the posts 50 to '75 feet apart, and use a lightergage-wire, such as 18 gage copper covered steel wire. This wire can beused for the same purpose as the heavy wire which is now used, and atthe same time it does not require wire tightening apparatus or bracesfor the corner posts which are necessary with the heavier wire. Thislighter wire is only about half as heavy as 16 gage wire, which thus notonly makes the cost of the wire less but also permits-hand tightening ofsame.

Electrically fenced animals quickly learn to keep away from the fenceand apparently depend to a large extent upon seeing the fence posts andthe insulators, which is easy when the posts are close together, andalso on seeing the Wire itself, a thingv which will become moredifficult with the use'of light weight wire. The training of animals torecognize these items is part of the requirements for the use ofelectric fences, and when the discs of the present invention are mountedon the fence they also become part of the warning system recognized bythe animals. It was a recognition of these problems and the comparativecostliness of the electric fences using closely spaced posts and heavywire which led to the conception and development of the presentinvention.

Accordingly, among the objects of the present invention is the provisionof an electric fence which has more widely spaced posts and a lightweight electric wire extending between them, together with an indicatingmeans of relatively permanent construction mounted on the wire forshowing the location of the fence.

Another object is to provide a relatively permanent means for increasingthe visibility of fence wire, and particularly that of an electricfence.

Another object is to make possible the satisfactory use of a lightweight bare wire for electric fences wherein such wire can be tightenedby hand.

Another object is to provide discs which can be mounted on fence wire ofvarious types at spaced intervals to show its location.

Another object is toprovide discs which preferably are round andsmooth-edged sothat if by any chance an animal swallows one of thesediscs, same wil1 not have pointed edges which would be harmful.

A further object of the invention is to provide a special form of discsfor mounting on fences wherein each of such discs has a locking tabmeans.

Another object is to provide an electric fence disc wherein such disc ispreferably supported near its center so that there will be a littleattention calling flutter of the disc on the electric fence wire whenthere is even a light breeze.

A further object is to provide fence discs which have perforations sothat they will produce a hiss or whistling sound when there is a breeze.

Stillfurther objects and advantages of the invention will appear as thedescription proceeds- To the accomplishment of the foreoing and. relatedends, the invention, then, consists of the means hereinafter fullydescribed and particularly pointed out in the claims, the annexeddrawing and the following description setting forth in detail certainmeans for carrying out the invention, such disclosed means illustrating,however, but one of various ways in which the principle of the inventionmay beused.

In the annexed drawing:

Figure 1 shows an electric fence with a preferred form of the discs ofthe present invention mounted thereon.

Figure 2 shows a front view of one preferred form of the discsof thepresent invention.

Figure 3 shows a vertical center section, view of the disc illustratedin Figure 2.

Figure 4 shows a perspective view Of the disc of Figure 2 mounted on awire.

Figure 5 shows a vertical center section view of the disc and wireassembly of Figure 4.

Figure 6 shows a rear viewof the Figure 4 assembly.

Referring more particularly to Figure 1 of the drawing, it will be notedthat an electric fence is shown wherein the electric fence wire I issupported on insulators 2 carried by electric fence posts 3. In order toimprove the visibility of the fence, and particularly so where theelectric fence posts are further apart than the standard one rodspacing, and also where the electric fence Wire is smaller than theordinary 9 to 12 gage, its is preferable to mount on such wire some wirelocation indicating discs 4.

The discs 4, which are used in accordance with the present invention,may be of many sizes and types, although a preferred size of same is 1%"in diameter and .016 thick. While these discs can be made out of variouskinds of materials,

sheet aluminum is exceptionally satisfactory due to its non-rustingcharacteristics, low cost, machinability, lightness, and good visibilitycharacteristics.

The discs 4 are preferably provided with a tab 5, one edge 8 of whichacts as the hinge for the tab which is also given a light break 1 sothat the tip portion 9 of the tab extends outward away from the plane ofthe disc. Hinge 6 of the tab is preferably just above the horizontalcenter line of the disc, and below that center line is provided a cutoutperforation 8 which is substantially parallel to hinge 6 and a littlelonger than the width of tab 5. This facilitates passing the end of tab5 through perforation 8 when the disc is mounted on a wire.

The perforation 8 as well as the opening from which tab 5 extends causea hissing or whistling sound when the wind blows, and this can be madestill more pronounced with addtional holes, all of which it is intendedthe drawings will be considered to diagrammatically illustrate. Thatnoise will be helpful to electrically fenced animals, both duringdaylight and at night, to keep them from getting too close to the fence.Luminous or fluorescent coatings can also be used on these discs torender them visible at night both to animals and to human beings.

To mount the disc 4 on a Wire such as electric fence wire I, tab 5 isbent outward about its hinge 6 and passed over wire I. This tab 5 isthen further bent until the tip 9 of same is passed through cutoutperforation 8 whereupon tip 9 is bent back as shown in Figures 4, 5, and6 to anchor the disc firmly on wire I. While the engaged disc can beeasily released and removed by means of a jackknife or a screw driver,it is anchored in place sufficiently well so that it will not accidentlydrop off of the wire, nor will it be easy for an animal out of purecuriosity or habit to get the disc loose. Electric fence power units arecommonly of the type which charge the wire with low-amperagehigh-voltage electric current many times a minute and hence if a goat orthe like tried to chew one of these discs he would be quicklydiscouraged.

While these discs are particularly adapted for use on electric fences,they are not specifically limited to such use since they are suitablefor mounting as a warning on any wire, such as barb wide fences, plainwire around a newly seeded lawn, or the like.

Other modes of applying the principle of my invention may be employedinstead of the one explained, change being made as regards the visiblewarning device and fence assemblies herein disclosed, provided the meansstated by any of the following claims or the equivalent of such statedmeans be employed.

I therefore particularly point out and distinctly claim as my invention:

1. In an electric fence assembly, which comprises a bare electric wirewith insulated supports for said wire, a thin metal disc means mountedat intervals on said wire between supports to increase the visibility ofsame, each of said disc means having an interior cut portion whichextends short of the periphery of said disc and forms a tab having abendable hinge edge near the center of said disc, said disc also havinga. perforation adjacent to but spaced from the hinged edge of said taband through which the tip end of said tab may be threaded and releasablyanchored after same has been passed around said wire.

2. A visible warning device for mounting on a wire such as is used inelectric fences, which comprises a substantially flat thin metal discwith a tab as a unit part of same, said tab being hinged near the centerof said disc and having its tip end at a point short of the periphery ofsaid disc which is continuous past the tip of said tab, said disc alsohaving a perforation at the opposite side of the center of said discfrom said tab, said perforation being spaced from but closely adjacentthe hinge edge of said tab, said tab being adapted to be bent outwardand backward with its tip threaded through said perforation where it isreleasably anchored after same has been passed around said wire.

3. A visible warning device for mounting on a wire such as is used inelectric fences, which comprises a thin metal disc formed from amaterial such as sheet aluminum, and a tab hinged near the middle ofsaid disc and terminating short of the periphery of said disc, said discalso having a perforation longer than the width of said tab and spaced ashort distance from and substantially parallel to said tab hinge, saidtab being of a length such that it can be bent about its hinge edge oversaid wire and its tip passed through said perforation and clinched inplace.

4. A visible warning device for mounting on a wire such as is used inelectric fences, which consists of a thin metal disc formed frommaterial such as sheet aluminum, means for increasing the visibility ofsaid disc after dark, and a tab hinged near the middle of said disc andterminating short of the periphery of said disc which is continuous pastthe end of said tab, said disc also having a Perforation longer than thewidth of said tab and spaced a short distance from and substantiallyparallel to the hinge portion of said tab, said tab having an outwardbend near its point to facilitate use and anchoring of said disc on awire, and said tab also being of a length such that it can be bent aboutits hinge edge over said wire and its tip passed through saidperforation and clinched in place.

ROBERT M. WILSON.

1 REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 197,661 Putnam, Jr Nov. 27, 1877249,777 La Fleur Nov. 22, 1881 405,851 Schlyer June 25, 1889 1,174,033Abbott Mar. 7, 1911 1,219,916 Carley Mar. 20, 1917 2,220,687 Peters Nov.5, 1940

